Tavano reveals the background to Bove's exit from Roma: "He never wanted to leave"
Diego Tavano, agent of Edoardo Bove and of Roma Primavera goalkeeper Slim Bouaskar, has spoken on Radio Bruno Roma's programme "Quelli che la Roma", reviewing Bove's departure from the club, the film made about his story and the future of Bouaskar. Tavano said the film "In un battito" will be released in cinemas from 16 November, following two preview screenings, one in Rome and one in Milan, which he said had been an incredible success. He said: "Everyone expects a simple documentary, so some stolen images here and there. In reality, behind this film there is a deep story. It is a real film, and there is a profound story of a boy who suffered, who after the event he had, which in the end was a fortunate event, lived 14 months of incredible emotions." He added that the cameras had been with the family from Careggi onwards, from the third day after the event, and followed Bove until his first goal for Watford, which he described as closing the story of a young man who hit rock bottom and, with great resilience, showed that one should never give up. Tavano said he had discussed the film with the production companies, Rai and Sky, and urged them to show it in all schools: "In the era of the bully and the maranza, we need boys like this, who are for me wonderful examples for our children." On Bove's exit, Tavano said the player never wanted to leave the club. He said the agent and player's relationship was cemented on 30 August 2024, when, in his words, "we were shown the door". He said there had been technical indications which they would have liked to respect, but did not expect Bove to have to leave completely. He said the club's management, led by Souloukou and sporting director Ghisolfi, offered two options that they did not like at all: Nottingham Forest, and probably Olympiakos, because of the same ownership, or Brest. Tavano said Bove felt he had done a great deal for Roma, having come off an important season under Mourinho in which he scored in the Europa League semi-final and was one of the protagonists. He recalled a very strong clash with the club's management of the time that day, and said that in the end they won, because he managed to secure a loan to Fiorentina with an option at the last minute. He said Fiorentina would surely exercise that option, as Bove had made a great start in Florence. Tavano said Bove has already described, and repeats in the film, that returning to the Curva Sud and hearing his name from the whole Roma crowd at the Stadio Olimpico was one of his greatest emotions of his life. He said Bove is Roman and a Roma fan. On Watford, Tavano said Bove is doing very well. He lives in London, in the same building as Riccardo Calafiori, and the two are together very often, two or three floors apart. He described the Championship as a league of high level, fourth in the world for revenue, and said he hopes it will be a transitional season before a return to Serie A. Asked about Roma's season, Tavano said he sees Inter more as the anti-Roma. He praised Gian Piero Gasperini, whom he said he knew well, recalling that Sebastien De Maio was his first strong player and was important to Gasperini's development of his total pressing game. He said: "For me Gasperini is a coach who is not a discovery and is not rushing things, because in my opinion Trigoria and Rome need coaches of this personality, like Mourinho and Gasperini. So it doesn't surprise me. He is an extremely strong coach and hopefully we will keep doing well." On Gasperini's comments about aiming for the Scudetto, Tavano said a healthy presumption is essential to win, and that the club has everything needed, a solid presidency and a coach with the right mentality. He said: "We are Roma, we are in Rome! This word is strong. It is essentially what we deserve. If we have seen so many Scudetti won by a team called Juventus, based in Turin, why can Roma, called Roma, not excel?" He praised the Friedkin family, noting that early criticism over their silence had faded, and said the stadium's silence during the anthem and rival fans filming it on their phones showed the club's greatness.
